1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for vacuum treatment of meat containing sodium bicarbonate to reduce the appearance of holes in the subsequently cooked meat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Consumers often use color and appearance to judge the quality of meat products such as tenderness and taste, but such quality attributes are actually difficult to quantify from visual appraisal. Because most meat products are purchased based upon a visual inspection, “abnormal” coloration often has an adverse effect on the salability of the meat. It is known that a rapid fall in pH within meat post-mortem while muscle temperature remains high and/or a low pH (<5.60) at the end of 24 hours post-mortem results in acidic conditions which give rise to lower quality meat. It has been found that sodium bicarbonate has an elevating and stabilizing effect on the ultimate pH of muscle. Therefore, sodium bicarbonate is useful for injecting into meat products to improve the color, water retention, and organoleptic properties of the meat. Various types of meat can be treated with sodium bicarbonate including poultry, lamb, beef, and pork. One method for treating meat with sodium bicarbonate is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,012 by Kauffman et al. This method injects an early post-mortem, pre-rigor mortis carcass with one or more enhancement solutions including sodium bicarbonate that serve to reduce the rate and extent of pH decline of the meat on the carcass.
However, there is a problem of holes occurring in the meat treated with sodium bicarbonate after the meat has been cooked. The holes occur because the carbon dioxide in the sodium bicarbonate solution comes out of solution when the meat is cooked thereby causing holes to appear in the meat. Holes could also occur when moisture is contained in the meat because the moisture creates holes when it is removed from the meat or if the moisture freezes and expands within the meat. In addition, needles puncturing the meat may also create holes in the meat. Although the quality of the meat is not compromised, the meat may not be as aesthetically pleasing upon visual inspection. Therefore, it is desired to prevent the holes from forming while the meat is cooked.